Bengkulu Robusta Coffee Enters Italy in Historic Direct Export
- 09 Sep 2026 09:06 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Poin Utama
- As many as 19.2 metric tons of Robusta coffee from Kepahiang, Bengkulu, were exported directly to Italy on September 7, 2026, for quality assessment.
- The shipment includes local varieties Sintaro (Sindang Dataran Robusta) and Sehasen, demonstrating their potential to meet high European coffee standards.
RRI.CO.ID, Bengkulu - A total of 19.2 tons of Robusta coffee from the highlands along the Bukit Barisan slopes in Kepahiang Regency, Bengkulu Province, has officially departed for Italy to undergo quality assessment within the world’s exacting espresso-blending traditions. The first shipment, sent on 7 September 2026, serves as initial proof that local varieties such as Sintaro (Sindang Dataran Robusta) and Sehasen can meet the high standards of Europe’s coffee capital without losing their regional identity.
Italy has a long-standing tradition of coffee processing and is widely recognized as the birthplace of espresso and cappuccino. Sending Bengkulu-grown beans there signals that the province’s output is competitive enough for the global market.
Bengkulu’s coffee quality has long been acknowledged among industry players. They are familiar with the Sintaro (Sindang Dataran Robusta) variety, whose seed stock originates from Rejang Lebong Regency, as well as the Sehasen variety from Kepahiang. Bengkulu-based baristas have also won competitions from local to prestigious international stages using Bengkulu coffee.
Although Bengkulu coffee has long been an export commodity, it has typically moved as part of shipments consolidated and marketed by exporters from neighboring Lampung. In that extended trade chain, Bengkulu’s identity was often lost because buyers knew the commodity by its export origin rather than the farms in Bengkulu that actually grew and tended the beans.
As reported by Antara, for the first time, coffee shipped from Bengkulu to the European market is officially recorded as originating from Bengkulu through a Certificate of Origin. The 19.2 tons of Robusta from Kepahiang departed for Italy with their place of origin firmly attached. The shipment, valued at around IDR 1.2 billion (USD 71,000), marks a historic milestone for direct exports from the province.
Exports open opportunities for Bengkulu coffee to capture added value. A commodity that has largely circulated in the domestic market now has a chance to enter broader trade circuits with different quality benchmarks and pricing.
Head of the Bank Indonesia Representative Office for Bengkulu Province, Wahyu Yuwana Hidayat, said the export market is expected to deliver added value, particularly on price.
“Coffee is about flavor, lifestyle, and style, so the name plays a very important role. A product’s value is often determined not only by quality but also by its name. Ultimately, the hope is for farmers’ welfare, then a positive impact on the regional economy and a multiplier effect on other sectors.” he said in Bengkulu on Tuesday, 8 September 2026.
From the farmers’ perspective, prices are expected to rise if these efforts succeed, and increased production should further boost incomes. For micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the export market creates room to develop various processed coffee products and sell them to wider audiences.
From a regional standpoint, higher exports are expected to spur economic growth, money circulation, and community welfare, with effects felt from daily economic activity to the expansion of MSMEs and industry in Bengkulu.
When coffee leaves only as raw material without a strong identity, part of its economic value is enjoyed in the exporting region and does not fully benefit Bengkulu. Conversely, when local coffee carries its regional name into domestic and international markets, the impact on the regional economy can be broader.
The first export to Italy is just one container, yet the shipment carries great significance. Bengkulu is now beginning to see its coffee not merely as farm produce, but as a commodity that can bring recognition, open new markets, and deliver greater value to its people. ***
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